Vertical-Euronet

Vertical-Euronet is specifically aimed to develop capacity of system thinking, integration between companies’ functions, understanding impacts on economics in a production company.

*** UNDER ITALIAN LOCALIZATION (TRANSLATING INTO ITALIAN 2-2-2009)

Vertical is an interactive competitive challenge similar to Euronet.
The main difference reflects the possibility only to "Make" (only internal production) and to sell products only to final customers thoroughout the company network (outlets).

Each team represents the board of management directors who are invited to take their quarterly decisions to run at best their own company.
The decisions of any one team will impact on the whole market place and on the performance of competitors. The simulation reproduce a vertically integrated company, operating in a European market of furniture; each company manufactures a range of related products and sells directly to the public through its own retail outlets. The decisions of any one team will impact on the whole market place and on the performance of competitors.

The goal of the company is to improve the profitability and the main ratio of economic and market performance.

The team of managers has to define the strategy and decide action accordingly throughout the use of information available.

The 4 operative functional areas
Information are located in a virtual environment which represents the head quarter of your company:

• Operation
• Stock of Raw Materials: the stock situation, purchases and pending, quantities, quality and value.
• Machines: production capacity and number of machines available.
• Production Process: total production and capacity utilisation.
• Production quality: quality of the production process along with total quality of manufactured products.

• Distribution
• Transport: transport capacity; number of vehicles; outsourcing transports.
• Goods available: the quantity of goods available for sale and level of stock of finished goods.
• Retail outlets: competitors’ retail outlets in central and out-of-town locations.
• Customer service: the quality of your service compared to the market average; your promotions expenditure compared to the market average; staffing levels and the related effectiveness.
• Retail Sales: goods available for retail sale and actual sales in the period.

• Marketing
• Margin per product for retail.
• Information on market trends of demand and the forecast on critical competitive factors.
• Retail market demand per product; market report; the company image based on your advertising and environmental expenditures compared to the market average.
• Market position as far as competitiveness and attraction levels.
  
  
• Financial Control
  

• Cash availability: the cash commitments for the period.
• Financial statement: cash flow, accounts receivable and creditors.
• Balance sheet: assets and liabilities.
• Profit & Loss account: all revenues and costs of the company for the period and for the current year.
• Economic Ratios: showing R.O.S. and share value.
• Annual Reports: of your competitors.
• On-line facility to verify your company credit rating and borrowing facility and also to confirm the cash available after commitments.

Decisions
Decisions are grouped as well as the information under the four functional areas as stated below:

• Operations
  Purchase of raw materials and finished goods, production levels, production capacity, hi-tech automation technology.
  
• Distribution
  Transportation, store locations, staffing, promotions.
  
• Marketing
  Advertising, pricing, wholesale market decisions.
  
• Financial Control
  Management accounts, expenditures, bank , environmental expenditures.